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Pioneering new oxidation catalysis paradigms for organic synthesis. The project aims to deliver highly novel chemical reactions based on previously unforeseen catalyst attributes, The societal impact of catalyst-promoted chemical reactions can be measured by the enormous volume of manufactured goods (eg plastics, pharmaceuticals) based on this technology. Expected project outcomes could be transferred into commercial chemical research and development programs.
Reinforcement of rubber products using nanostructured carbon materials. Reinforcement of rubber products using nanostructured carbon materials. This project aims to use the surface-functionalized nanostructured carbons as fillers to reinforce natural rubber. These fillers should significantly enhance the cross-linking between carbon and rubber matrix, leading to high-performance composite products with long lifetime, high thermal conductivity, high oil resistance and outstanding dynamic behaviou ....Reinforcement of rubber products using nanostructured carbon materials. Reinforcement of rubber products using nanostructured carbon materials. This project aims to use the surface-functionalized nanostructured carbons as fillers to reinforce natural rubber. These fillers should significantly enhance the cross-linking between carbon and rubber matrix, leading to high-performance composite products with long lifetime, high thermal conductivity, high oil resistance and outstanding dynamic behaviours. This project is expected to make Australia capable of fabricating superior rubber-based materials and devices that are comfortable, quiet and energy efficient, for use in aircrafts, automobiles and vessels. It should also reduce the use of non-degradable rubber materials, promoting Australia’s economic development and environment protection.Read moreRead less
New metal catalysed tandem routes to nitrogen containing compounds. Catalyst based manufacturing accounts for 60 per cent of chemical production and 90 per cent of processes. This project aims to improve the efficiency of catalysis and to develop new applications of catalysis for the synthesis of heterocycles, polyamide monomers and carbocyclic peptides.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130100770
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$325,375.00
Summary
Lignin in ionic liquids: electrochemical approaches towards delignification and depolymerisation. Wood contains a wealth of biomaterials, such as cellulose which can be used to make biofuel and lignin which can be used to make pharmaceuticals. Separating out the cellulose is essential yet difficult, plus lignin must be broken up into smaller fragments; this project will look at using electrochemistry to achieve these processes more efficiently.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210100053
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$428,710.00
Summary
Computational Discovery & Design of New Catalytic Halogenophilic Reactions. Computational chemistry will be used to discover and predict new halogenophilic (halogeno = halogen; philic = like) substitution reactions (SN2X) catalysed by positively charged (cationic) catalysts. SN2X is a less known substitution reaction compared to accepted textbook nucleophilic (nucleo = electron-rich) substitution reactions. This proposal capitalises on previous theoretical-experimental understanding of a cation- ....Computational Discovery & Design of New Catalytic Halogenophilic Reactions. Computational chemistry will be used to discover and predict new halogenophilic (halogeno = halogen; philic = like) substitution reactions (SN2X) catalysed by positively charged (cationic) catalysts. SN2X is a less known substitution reaction compared to accepted textbook nucleophilic (nucleo = electron-rich) substitution reactions. This proposal capitalises on previous theoretical-experimental understanding of a cation-catalysed SN2X to develop new chemical reactions using SN2X synthetic strategies to access difficult-to-make molecules of potential medicinal relevance with heavily substituted carbon-carbon and carbon heteroatom bonds. Read moreRead less
Signature of vibrational motions encoded into small polyatomic spectra. Using revolutionary state-of-the-art spectrometers, the project plans to search for signatures of large-amplitude vibrational motions that transform one chemical species to another. Bond-breaking chemical reactions necessarily involve highly vibrationally excited reactants and/or products that move the energy of the system away from equilibrium. It is now possible for direct measurements to be made of the changes that a mole ....Signature of vibrational motions encoded into small polyatomic spectra. Using revolutionary state-of-the-art spectrometers, the project plans to search for signatures of large-amplitude vibrational motions that transform one chemical species to another. Bond-breaking chemical reactions necessarily involve highly vibrationally excited reactants and/or products that move the energy of the system away from equilibrium. It is now possible for direct measurements to be made of the changes that a molecule undergoes as it transits across a chemical potential energy barrier. The project plans to examine the long-standing problem of vinylidene-acetylene isomerisation in order to verify the long-suspected existence of large amplitude vibrational motion in small molecules, which are thought to be the signatures of a particular class of chemical dynamics. These would provide a rational basis for future control of unimolecular chemical reactions.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL170100041
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,327,500.00
Summary
Controlling chemical reactions via pH-switchable electrostatic catalysis. This project aims to establish a new approach to catalysis using the electrostatic effects of pH-switchable, charged functional groups. Utilising simple homogeneous catalysts and polymer-supported enzyme-mimicking catalysts, a wide range of target reactions will be studied. The expected outcomes of the project will include a new approach to the design and optimisation of several new classes of catalyst for assembling compl ....Controlling chemical reactions via pH-switchable electrostatic catalysis. This project aims to establish a new approach to catalysis using the electrostatic effects of pH-switchable, charged functional groups. Utilising simple homogeneous catalysts and polymer-supported enzyme-mimicking catalysts, a wide range of target reactions will be studied. The expected outcomes of the project will include a new approach to the design and optimisation of several new classes of catalyst for assembling complex molecules and materials. The project also offers a unique opportunity to train the next generation of chemists in the principles of computer-aided chemical design. The catalysts developed in this project will be able to accelerate and control the chemical reactions used in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and materials, with significant practical benefits to industry.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200101096
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$427,098.00
Summary
Programming Polymer Function via Ring-opening Polymerisation of Peptides. The project aims to set the foundation of a class of intelligent polymers, whose structure and function – including catalytic activity and biodegradability – can be readily programmed. In contrast to well-established radical polymerization techniques leading to all-carbon based backbones, the outlined research will develop technologies to incorporate short peptides into the backbones of synthetic polymers. The syntheticall ....Programming Polymer Function via Ring-opening Polymerisation of Peptides. The project aims to set the foundation of a class of intelligent polymers, whose structure and function – including catalytic activity and biodegradability – can be readily programmed. In contrast to well-established radical polymerization techniques leading to all-carbon based backbones, the outlined research will develop technologies to incorporate short peptides into the backbones of synthetic polymers. The synthetically adjustable amino acid sequence of the main chain embedded peptides will translate into the structure and function of the modular polymer. The DECRA will deliver unprecedented access towards tailor-made mechanical properties, catalytic activity and biodegradability of polymeric materials.Read moreRead less
Sulfur Polymers: A New Class of Dynamic, Responsive & Recyclable Materials. This project aims to establish design principles for the manufacture of polymers made from sulfur, an abundant yet underused building block. These novel materials will be tested as next-generation rubber and plastic. This project expects to generate new knowledge in how these materials can be assembled and recycled, and also how they can be used to extract valuable gold from ore and e-waste. Anticipated outcomes of the p ....Sulfur Polymers: A New Class of Dynamic, Responsive & Recyclable Materials. This project aims to establish design principles for the manufacture of polymers made from sulfur, an abundant yet underused building block. These novel materials will be tested as next-generation rubber and plastic. This project expects to generate new knowledge in how these materials can be assembled and recycled, and also how they can be used to extract valuable gold from ore and e-waste. Anticipated outcomes of the project include access to entirely new materials useful in sustainable plastic manufacturing and sustainable gold extraction. These outcomes should provide significant benefits including functional replacements for non-recyclable plastics and elimination of toxic mercury and cyanide in gold mining and e-waste processing.Read moreRead less
Boron and silicon based pincer ligands for environmentally responsible catalysis. The production of everyday chemicals (pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, polymers) comes at a price, economic and environmental. Metal catalysts significantly reduce the environmental impact of both the associated energy requirements and waste products. New classes of catalysts will be developed based on the unconventional elements boron and silicon.